BISHOPS PETER'S DIOCESAN SYNOD ADDRESS 2005

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WELCOME

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you, the members of the diocesan Synods of Cashel and Ferns, to the lovely Mount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow, Co. Carlow, this Feast of Saint Columba, patron of Ireland and indeed patron of our parish in this town.

Following the recent triennial Easter Vestry elections, I warmly welcome members attending the diocesan Synod for the first time. I extend also a very warm welcome to our ecumenical guests, the members of the press, church group and organisation representatives, alongside our distinguished guests and our visitors. Thank you most sincerely for taking the time to be with us and to support us by your presence and during the breaks, I encourage one and all to browse at the stalls kindly provided.

A special word of thanks to our local Rector, our Diocesan Liturgical Officers and to our organist for their assistance with our opening eucharist. The eucharist reminds us that all is undertaken today and indeed ‘at all times and in all places' , for the glory and praise of God the Holy Trinity.

A HISTORIC OCCASION

It goes without saying that this is an historic occasion for this ancient See and United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory. We meet to conduct the necessary business of the synod of Ferns and the synod of Cashel, conjointly, together, for I believe, the first time. We have met conjointly as councils in the recent past for a matter of joint concern. However, we have not so met in synod. At the two separate synods of last year, I indicated my desire to meet as one this year. I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to the members of both diocesan councils for facilitating this request. As your Bishop, it means a very great deal to me for us to be together in the one place at the same time, in true apostolic fashion.

I hope that you too will feel the same way and that this expression of our common mission and witness as members of the Church of Ireland across and within the south–east of our island home, will be granted further time to become established. It makes good sense to me for our scattered representation to be together for mutual listening and sharing at least once a year in such a synodical gathering. I pray earnestly that we shall be encouraged, edified and strengthened by the process. I repeat what I said at both synods of last year: I am content to work with and within the existing conciliar structure of diocesan affairs until circumstances demand their review.

Obviously, there shall be a few ‘teething problems' relating to the business of such a novel gathering like today's; this is only to be expected. However, I wish to thank Mrs Deacon and Mrs Hughes, with the clerical and lay Honorary Secretaries of both synods, for all their preparatory work in making the arrangements and provisions for today. I acknowledge also the assistance of the management and staff here with our specific requests, which are also something of a ‘first' for the hotel.

Further, as I moved the dates of both synods from their usual October context to a new summer setting of June, such arrangements, not least the compilation of the Book of Reports had to be made in a far shorter time scale than was normal. This change of date (and indeed starting time) is for good reason. A summer date permits a closer relationship to the events of last year in our discussions, than does a later autumn date. I hope also that an afternoon/evening session for business combines greater attractiveness for those at work than does a morning/afternoon time scale, with, importantly, more time for post Synod conviviality.

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